


Shared Nightmares

by ulti_mato



Category: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Family Bonding, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28885335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ulti_mato/pseuds/ulti_mato
Summary: Chess Choco Cookie has a nightmare. Unexpectedly, they seek comfort from a certain someone.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	Shared Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first fic and I wrote it in like a day, don’t judge too hard.
> 
> I love the chess twins and I want them to be loved! What else can I say?

_It was dark outside, save for the light pouring through the windows of buildings and reflecting on the freshly fallen snow. Unfortunately, this light didn’t provide any sort of warmth, only a harsh reminder of what they couldn’t have. The only buildings that were open at this time of night were restaurants and bars, but none welcomed people like them. They had learned that lesson the hard way after being shooed out of one too many._

_They knew that kids their age shouldn’t be alone downtown in the dark, but they were getting desperate. If they kept hiding in the back of that small alleyway, they were going to starve to death. Walking close to doors, savoring the short blast of heat that came out when someone opened one at the same time that they passed, and searching. Going to the back of the buildings, where the dumpsters were, continuing the search. It was routine, but the anxiety never faded. Every sound made them jump._

_As they made their way behind one particular restaurant, the sound of heavy footsteps alerted them that they were not alone. They both turned, their eyes wide in terror. The figure was unidentifiable between the darkness and the heavy snowfall, but it was slowly making its way towards them. They frantically looked around, but they were cornered._ Thump, thump, thump… _The sound kept growing louder, the figure growing larger, and their fear insurmountable. It got closer, closer, and closer, until…_

Both twins snapped awake at the same time. Pawn White had tears in their eyes and tear trails down their cheeks, and Pawn Black was tearing up as well. All they did was look at each other, not needing to say anything. Shared dreams were common between them, nightmares making up the majority of them. Only after their heartbeats and breathing slowed to normal did they break the silence.

“Did you…?”

“Of course.”

Night after night, these types of twisted memories made their way into Chess Choco’s nightmares, and every night, they did their best to ignore them. However, it was nearly impossible for them to go back to sleep afterwards. Pawn Black rolled over and closed their eyes; Pawn White continued to stare up at the ceiling. Any attempts at forgetting were futile, though, and they knew this well.

Pawn White ripped off the blankets suddenly, standing up and beginning to pace. Pawn Black, startled by the movement, sat up to watch them. Pawn White was known to be restless, but they always at least tried to go back to sleep after being woken up like this. Tonight, however, they couldn’t bear to close their eyes for another second. Neither of them could.

“What are you doing?” Pawn Black asked their sibling, rubbing their eyes to get the sleep out of them. 

They stopped in their tracks suddenly, looking over to their twin. “Come walk with me.”

“What?”

“I need to get out of here! Please, come walk with me.” They held out their hand towards Pawn Black, a pleading look in their eyes.

Pawn Black looked at them for a second, and then glanced over at the clock. It read 2:30 A.M., but why did that matter? They knew they wouldn’t be able to sleep anyways.

“...Okay,” they replied, taking their twin’s extended hand and standing up. Together, the two walked out of the room, hand in hand.

The hotel was peaceful at night. Electric lamps cast dim light through the hallways, and a comforting silence washed over the place. Since all of the employees were sleeping and there were no guests around, Chess Choco had the place to themselves. They wandered aimlessly, not going anywhere in particular. Most likely, they would wind up wandering to the basement, or maybe the mirror room, the two places that were truly theirs. They kept walking, passing by the employee rooms… Until they got to Earl Grey’s.

Why did they stop walking?

The twins looked at each other; they didn’t _know_ why they had stopped here. Once they did, though, they couldn’t make themselves walk away. They didn’t _need_ to see Earl Grey right now. It was the middle of the night, and Chess Choco had each other; that was all they needed, right?

No. The nightmare still plagued the back of their mind, and a new feeling washed over them: a need for comfort.

Before they could think about it for too long, Pawn White stepped forward to knock on the door. Pawn Black shot them a look; they shouldn’t be bothering Earl Grey at this hour. Pawn White had a guilty, yet persistent look on their face. 

The silence that followed the knock lingered heavily in the air. How long had they been standing there? When the anticipation turned to disappointment, Chess Choco turned to leave, but at that moment, the door opened.

“Oh! It’s you two. How may I help you?” 

It was strange to see Earl Grey dressed in pajamas with his hair loose and falling over his face and shoulders. He was nearly unrecognizable to Chess Choco, save for the thick, gold-rimmed glasses that he had put on to answer the door. He didn’t look mad or annoyed, just tired, as anyone would be after being woken up in the early hours of the morning. Now, both of the twins were feeling guilty, but they weren’t going to back out now.

“May we please come in? We would like to come in,” Chess Choco said, echoing each other as they always do. They stared up at Earl Grey, and Earl Grey stared back.

Chess Choco didn’t typically wear their emotions on their sleeves, so Earl Grey was surprised to see just how distressed they looked. Behind the clear tiredness, their eyes were red, as if they had been crying, and they held each other’s hands tighter than normal. What could have happened to them, and why were they seeking him out? It was unusual behavior for the twins; Earl Grey couldn’t help but be a bit worried.

“Of course! Come in and make yourselves comfortable,” he replied in his usual chipper tone, not displaying any of the concerns he had. He stood back to allow Chess Choco to come in, and they did, after a moment of hesitation. 

Earl Grey’s room was just as luxurious as the rest of the hotel. A couch and chairs lined with velvet sat around a coffee table towards one side of the room; the bed, wardrobe, and vanity sat across the room. The room had all the same assets of any of the other rooms, and it looked like it hadn’t even been lived in, save for the currently unmade bed. Chess Choco sat down on the small couch, muttering a quiet “thank you” to Earl Grey as they passed.

“Now, may I ask what you are doing up at this time of night?” Earl Grey asked, sitting in one of the adjacent armchairs, “And why you came to see me, as well?”

The twins were silent for a moment, unable to form a response. They were undoubtedly embarrassed about the whole situation, but then again, they were already here, in their pajamas and exhausted, so what did they have to lose?

“We had a really bad nightmare. We had a bad dream,” they replied, both of them looking towards the ground. Shame washed over Chess Choco when they said it. It was one thing to be thinking about the nightmare, but verbalizing it was a whole different story. It made it seem so much more _real._

Earl Grey blinked, staring at them. A nightmare? Was that all? If they had come to seek him out, it must’ve been bad. Or maybe it wasn’t. Sometimes, Earl Grey seemed to forget that, in a lot of ways, they were just normal kids. Sure, they were employed by Dark Enchantress, extremely intelligent and cunning, and masters at chess, but they were still _children_.

“Well… Would you like to stay here for the night, then?” he asked. “I don’t mind the company.” How long has it been since he had a guest stay with him? Honestly, the company was more than welcome.

The twins’ heads snapped up at him in unison, their eyes slightly wide. Did he really mean that? He wanted them to stay with him?

“Are you sure? Are you sure you’re okay with us staying?” they asked, sitting up a little more in their seats.

“Absolutely! I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t mean it, right?” he chuckled in reply. It was obvious that Chess Choco was looking for comfort more than anything right now, and he would provide. He had grown quite attached to them in their time at this hotel together. Though their pasts were still a mystery to him, it was clear that they needed someone to care for them. Earl Grey was more than happy to take on that role.

He got up to get into bed, motioning for the twins to follow. They stood, but didn’t move.

“To the bed? You want us to come to the bed with you?” they asked, seemingly wary, almost _nervous_. Earl Grey couldn’t help but feel bad. Had they never climbed into bed with their parents? There was no use in dwelling on it. He sat on the edge of the bed.

“Yes, I am not going to make you sleep on the couch unless you want to,” he insisted. That seemed to convince them, and Earl Grey shifted towards one side of the bed to make room for them. To his surprise, they climbed in, Pawn White on his left and Pawn Black on his right.

“Thank you… Thank you for letting us stay,” they said, their voices regaining their tiredness once again. The three of them settled down, Earl Grey pulling up the covers and allowing the twins to snuggle into either side of him.

If he had known this job would mean becoming a father figure to two young children, he honestly probably wouldn’t have taken it, but he was so glad that he did. Moments like this, ones where he could bond with them, made it worth it. The twins fell asleep in minutes, when it would have normally taken _hours_ on their own, and Earl Grey followed suit, relaxing and snoring softly.


End file.
